Thursday, March 4, 2010

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“Packaged is terminology for preparing a victim for transport,” said James Long, a spokesman for the Fire Department. “Stabilize him, on a backboard or Stokes basket, or on a gurney, depending on his injuries, and ready for transport to a hospital. It means he has been secured. If it was a fall, he has been removed from the location. It is the evaluating, the treating and the preparing of the injured for transport.”

One under -– a person has been placed under arrest (not run over by a train).

Rush a bus — hurry an ambulance to the location. Usually refers to situations in which someone has a serious injury or is “likely.”

Likely — likely to die.

Perp — perpetrator or suspect. (Officers have less savory words for suspects as well.)

Collar or collar up — what officers say to indicate that they will take someone into custody or arrest that person. Sometimes it implies that overtime is involved.

Jumper down — someone jumping from a bridge or building in an apparent suicide attempt.

In the bag — someone is outfitted in the blue uniform that an officer wears.

EDP — emotionally disturbed person. (Once, in less sensitive times, officers just called them “psychos.”)

Flaking — when police officers falsely attribute evidence to suspects, with the goal of arresting them.

Cooping — officers sleeping while on duty, sometimes in a patrol car in some out-of-the-way spot.

Emergency responders can get even briefer in their radio codes, though a lot of agencies around the nation are moving away from the so-called Ten Codes.